Shenbagathoppu grizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary

Location :Tamil Nadu
Coverage area : 1411.6 sq. km
Main attraction : tigers and elephants are Black Buck
Best time to visit :October to January
Nearby excursions : ArulmiguBannariMariamman Temple at Bannari
Nearby cities :Madurai

All tourist information about shenbagathoppu srizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary

Declared as a sanctuary in December 1989, the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary at Sirvilliputhur in southern Tamil Nadu is a loved tourist destination. Spreading over 480 sq km, this sanctuary is contiguous to Periyar Tiger Reserve on the south western side and the Megamalai Reserve Forest on the north western side. The Sivagiri Reserved Forest of Tirunelveli Forest Division covers the southern side of the forest.

The Sanctuary lies mostly in Virdhunagar District and also partly in Madurai district. The high ranges of the Western Ghats make the landscape serene and beautiful. The altitude ranges from 100 MSL to 2010 MSL. The varied climate and topographic conditions prevails all through the sanctuary and makes it remarkably diverse in flora and fauna.

As the sanctuary is located in the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, it has a number of peaks that reaches upto 1800 m. It is ranged in the eastern watershed boundary for the river Periyar and is one of the best preserved forests in the south of the Palghat Gap.

The tributaries of the river Vaipaar and few rivulets converge in river Gundaar. These water bodies are the supporting source of water for the animals.

The higher elevation has upper Montane forests along with grasslands. The mid elevation is with wet evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous, open deciduous, closed deciduous forests. And, the most prominent topography is the grassland with scrub jungles in the foot hills. One Medicinal Plant Conservation Area (MPCA) is located at Thaniparai in the sanctuary. Only 6.3% of the total geographical area is covered with the forests.

Climatic conditions

The climate at Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary is mostly humid and warm. The temperature and humidity may vary between altitudes but typically the temperatures range from 27 and 40 degree Celsius. bright days and hot climate is characteristic of summer while the winters last between the months of December and February. Temperatures range between 20 to 30 degree Celsius and the humidity is less compared to monsoons. There is considerably heavy rainfall that lasts between the months of July and October receiving average rainfall of around 85 cm.

Best time to visitShenbagathoppu grizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary

The best season to visit ShenbagaThoppu Sanctuary is the pre-winter time. The temperatures mostly remain around the same all through the year.

Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary has an attractive range of animals. Tamilnadu seems to be a favorite place of birds and many winged guests and as per the ornithologists, more than 100 varieties flock every year to this place. The number is more during the winter. The Grizzled Giant Squirrel is the main tourist attraction. These squirrels are grey or brown or a greyish brown and do not weigh more than two kilograms. They are however, as big as a cat and can be easily spotted while roaming in this Sanctuary. Interestingly, the Grizzled Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is highly restricted to south India and Sri Lanka. Also, these squirrels are restricted to seven isolated riparian dry deciduous forests in the Sanctuary. Nilgiri langur, common langur, lion-tailed macaque, slender loris, bonnet macaque, and sloth bear are the other commonly sighted animals.

Some rare birds such as the Red faced Malkoha, Great Pied Hornbill, Nilgiri Flycatcher and Malayan Night Heron are widely distributed in the Sanctuary. The main raptors reported are the Hawks, Serpent Eagle, and Black Eagle. Also, there are 15 species of lizards, 18 species of snakes, over 10 species of amphibians and over 56 species of butterflies found in the sanctuary.

Distance of Shenbagathoppu grizzled squirrel wildlife sanctuary from major cities:

Madurai, 79 km
Trivandrum, 184 km
Mettupalayam, 320 km
Bangalore, 510 km
Chennai, 542 km
Hyderabad, 1068 km
Visakhapattanam, 1320 km
Pune, 1343 km
Mumbai, 1486 km
Kolkata, 2191 km
Jodhpur, 2453 km
Delhi, 2631 km
Chandigarh, 2880 km
Amritsar, 3085 km

How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

The closest airport to Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary is at Madurai and it has plenty of public transport to help you get transfered from the place.

Railways

Railway facilities are reliable till Madurai as it connects most of the major cities in South-India. It connects trains from all across the nation. Virudhunagar and Villiputhur are the closest rail head. Villiputhur, which is 15 kms away from wildlife sanctuary, has transfer facilities available from the station with jeeps and rented cars.

Roadways

The sanctuary can be reached via road and can be connected by NH 41, NH 44 and NH186. Jeeps and rented cars are the most commonly preferred vehicles for road transfer.

Accommodation facilities

There are a number of forest rest houses in and around the park which has the proper lodging and other facilities. Tirunelveli serves as a nearby accommodation area and has all categories of hotels and resorts.

The sanctuary is ideal to be visited throughout the year. There are two dams named Pilavakkal and Koilar are situated along the foothills of the sanctuary. They are the best places to enjoy the water birds and other wildlife. There is one rest house situated inside the sanctuary in Mudaliar Oothu. It is considered to be one of the best places to see the Nilgiri Tahr.

There are a number of springs and waterfalls inside the sanctuary. The forest is still a part and parcel of the tribes over there and their lifestyle in ramshackle huts and shanties is a fond subject for the admirers of anthropology.